Putin critic

Former world chess champion Kasparov on “terror list”

The former world chess champion Garry Kasparov is de facto accused of financing terrorism in Russia.(Bild: APA/AFP/Odd ANDERSEN)

Former Russian world chess champion Garry Kasparov has been a vehement critic of Kremlin leader Vladimir Putin for years. The 60-year-old, who lives in the USA, was previously listed as a "foreign agent" by the Russian authorities. Organizations founded by him, such as the Forum Free Russia, are de facto banned from operating in Russia. Kasparov has now been placed on a list of "terrorists and extremists".

This is according to a memo from the Russian financial supervisory authority Rosfinmonitoring, which the news agency AFP was able to view on Wednesday. In December last year, the Interior Ministry in Moscow accused the opposition activist of organizing an auction with the aim of collecting funds for the fight against Russia. According to a report by the Russian news agency TASS, the 60-year-old is facing up to five years in prison.

One of the greatest chess players of all time
Born in 1963 in the former Soviet republic of Azerbaijan, Kasparov was one of the greatest chess players of all time before becoming a fierce opponent of head of state Vladimir Putin. In 2013, he left Russia and moved to the USA, from where he continues to criticize the Russian leadership and the military offensive in Ukraine.

In 2022, Kasparov was declared a "foreign agent" in Russia, a designation for opposition members, journalists and human rights activists that entails the strictest restrictions from the authorities. Most of the opposition figures who have remained in Russia are now imprisoned, while the rest live in exile.